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Objective: To demonstrate the responsiveness of depression after surgery for lumbar degenerative disease and to verify the impact of this condition on surgical outcomes., Patient Sample: A prospective cohort study with 91 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases who were evaluated preoperatively, at 30 days and 1 year postoperatively., Outcome Measures: Evolution of depression between the follow-ups and its correlation with satisfaction., Methods: Depression was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory. According to depression responsiveness, patients were classified into four groups: NN = no depression; ND = normal during the preoperative period and depression within 1 year; DN = depression during the preoperative period and normal within 1 year; DD = depression during the preoperative period and within 1 year., Results: Prevalence of preoperative depression was 28.6% and 17.6% within 1 year postoperatively. Most patients (65.4%) with depression in the preoperative period recovered postoperatively. Poor preoperative HRQoL measures were associated with higher rates of responsiveness of depression during the follow-up. Patients with depression at the 1-year postoperative follow-up had a worse functional outcome. Patients who improved from depression had similar outcome to those without depression. Dissatisfaction within 1 year postoperatively was greater in patients who become depressed after surgery and remain depressed at 1-year follow-up (NN = 8.8%; ND = 42.9%; DN = 17.6%; DD = 44.4%; P = 0.012)., Conclusion: Most patients with depression in the preoperative recover within 1 year postoperatively. Responsiveness of depression is associated with surgical outcomes. The presence of depression after the surgical treatment, independent of when it starts, had a major negative impact on prognosis.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Objective: To assess the prevalence and the general characteristics of low back pain (LBP) in a middle-aged population living in southern Brazil., Summary of Background Data: LBP is a widespread musculoskeletal condition. It is the main cause of disability in developed countries. It is necessary and relevant to study the risk factors for LBP to plan preventative action. A cross-sectional study of a middle-aged population in the South of Brazil was designed to look at the prevalence and general characteristics of LBP., Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed in a city located in southern Brazil. Data were collected from 1005 individuals at randomized public locations. A protocol was designed to evaluate the general characteristics of the population: age, sex, level of education, socioeconomic status, body mass index, occupation, smoking, physical activity, anxiety, and depression. After the initial evaluation, the individuals were asked if they had had low back pain at least once in their lifetime. Those who answered "Yes" continued the questionnaire that evaluated pain intensity, characteristics, and related disability. After the entire group was analyzed (N = 1005), a separate study was performed on the participants younger than 40 years (N = 701)., Results: The mean age was 33.74 years (±14.76) and 61.6% of the participants were females. Seventy-two percent of the participants had had LBP at least once in their lives. The mean of visual analogue scale intensity of pain was 4.51 (±2.27). The prevalence of female sex (P = 0.006) and anxiety (P < 0.001) was higher in those with LBP. In the group younger than 40 years, the prevalence of LBP was 69.7% and anxiety (P < 0.001) was the only factor related to LBP., Conclusion: Low back pain is a highly prevalent condition in a middle-aged population living in southern Brazil. Higher levels of anxiety and female sex were related to this condition in all groups, but when it was analyzed in the participants younger than 40 years, anxiety was the only significant variable related with LBP., Level of Evidence: 3.

Unlabelled: OBJECT.: A previous study published by the authors showed that a single intervention could not change the baseline attitudes toward neurotrauma prevention. The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple interventions in modifying knowledge and attitudes for the prevention of neurotrauma in Brazilian preteens and adolescents., Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, fifth-year primary school (PS) and second-year high school (HS) students were divided into a control and 2 intervention (single/multiple) groups. The study was conducted in the following 8 stages: T1, questionnaire to measure baseline characteristics; T2, lecture on trauma prevention; T3, reapplying the questionnaire used in T1; T4, Traffic Department intervention; T5, a play about trauma and its consequences; T6, Fire Department intervention; T7, Emergency Medical Service intervention; and T8, reapplying the questionnaire used in T1 and T3. Positive answers were considered those affirming the use of safety devices "always or sometimes" and negative as "never" using safety devices., Results: The sample consisted of 535 students. Regarding attitudes, students in all groups at any stage of measurement showed protective behavior more than 95% of the time about seat belt use. There were only differences between attitudes in PS and HS students on T8 assessment concerning the use of safety equipment on bikes in the multiple-intervention group and concerning the use of safety equipment on skateboards and rollerblades in single- and multiple-intervention groups. These differences were caused mainly by the reduction in positive answers by the HS group, rather than by the increase in positive or protective answers by the PS group. However, there was no difference when the control and intervention groups were compared, independent of the attitudes or the student groups studied. The most important reason for not using protective devices was the belief that they would not get hurt., Conclusions: Multiple and different types of educational interventions, such as lectures, scenes from plays about trauma and its consequences, traffic and fire department intervention, and medical emergency intervention directed to preteens and adolescents from public and private schools did not modify most students' attitudes toward injury prevention. Clinical trial registration no: U1111-1121-0192 (National System of Ethics and Research in Brazil).